Many children are frightened of mathematics and this is very sad because mathematics can be extremely exciting and interesting. Do you like Mathematics or are you frightened by simple calculations? Can you work out simple arithmetic problems in your head? Do you foster in your child a love of mathematics and mathematical problem-solving?

Math learning is great fun at home. You don’t need specialized resources. Everything you need is in your home at this moment. You need enthusiasm and a creative mind to find math opportunities.

Mathematics is an exciting part of our world. There is barely an hour goes by in our day when we are not calculating or measuring or estimating something. It is a wonderful talent to be able to calculate quickly and accurately.

Every day we are calculating. Just think about it. From the moment your alarm goes you are estimating the time required to complete breakfast and get to work. You check the thermometer to see how cold or hot it is. When you run your microwave you decide how many seconds and minutes you should use. You check your wallet or purse to see how much money you have for the day.

There is a body of evidence that suggests that many children are unable to estimate a reasonable answer. With the growing use of calculators and computers, children are losing the capacity to decide what a reasonable answer is. They need to be able to calculate for themselves so they don’t over rely on electronic equipment.

Calculators and computers are tools. They do not have thinking power- they are able to perform complicated calculations at lightning speed but they rely on the accuracy of the data input. They are only as useful as the person who puts in the numbers. The user needs to be able to determine whether the answer given is reasonable- does it make sense? To be able to determine this you must be able to estimate the approximate answer and in doing so key in the correct operation ( ,-, X, /).

You can have a wonderful time with your children if you think creatively about using math at home. There are dozens of possibilities for you to play number games with your child. You have to have the willingness, enthusiasm and creativity to use everyday mathematics in the home to fashion challenging and exciting number games.

You can do dozens of things at home if you really think creatively. Using a thermometer is a great resource. Develop a simple graph showing the temperature changes over a month. Check the thermometer every morning at breakfast and every night at dinner. See what the temperature differences are between those 10 hours. You’ll be amazed at how much your children enjoy this fun activity.

Long car trips can be very boring and frustrating. Try to think of all the number games you can play as you drive along. Use the registration plates of the cars in front of you to play number games. Count the number of red cars. Compare the difference between cars and SUVs that you pass. Calculate the mileage and check it against the car’s computer. There are endless ways to play number games on a long trip.

Encourage your children to talk about how they solve math problems. Help them to think about their math thinking. This is called metacognition - thinking about thinking. Think what processes and strategies they used to reason out a solution. Even very young children can do this. Build a positive attitude to math by incorporating math tasks and thinking into everyday activities. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your child will develop a love for math.

It is a big day! Your teen daughter or son came home from school and told you that tonight they are going on teen dating! Not so excited, are we? Yes, there is a lot of worry involved from a parent, but stay cool about it!

Maybe you remember coming home crying because your date turned out to be too aggressive, or made a mean remark about your outfit. But not all your dates turned out that way. Some dates were thrilling, with compliments and fun from beginning to end. So it’s not all bad news.

Your child is about to take another step into this world, so you wish from the heart to make it good. Don’t worry, we are here to help you.

There is not enough emphasis that must be put on the atmosphere at home. If you and your spouse are always in the middle of a quarrel, if the members of your family do not have a habit of respecting each other and if any argument seems like a war declaration, then, do not expect your kid to react otherwise. So, the best preparation for teen dating is a calm and warm atmosphere at home. Give a little room for compromise, let the others show how they feel, listen to them, and teach them how to listen to you, and your teenager will be a confident youngster.

Approach teen dating with confidence. Giving supportive guidance without being intrusive and keeping them safe are your primary goals. Here are a few ideas to get your teen started in the dating scene.

Encourage double dates or group activities for starters. This makes it easier for your child to get into the swing of teen dating. A double date at the county fair allows both girls and boys to be more relaxed with one another and just have fun. Both boys and girls have someone of their own gender to chat with if self-conscious or nervous feelings surface. A group of boys and girls going bowling or to the skating rink is another good choice. It will help them build confidence in teen dating.

It is not working if you cannot help being intrusive. Let them have their privacy and don’t pester them with all kinds of advices and hard words. It is easier for them to gain confidence on their own than without you being on their shoulder all the time. Accept that they will not be talkative anytime you want to, but they will turn to you when needed.

Being non intrusive does not mean that you should let everything blowing in the wind. Try to approach your child with care, don’t scare them away and start up a conversation about teen dating and the aspects involved with it. Let them know that alcohol and drugs will get them into trouble and teach them how to stay away from them. Assure them that they can call you and ask for your help whenever something like this happens, without them feeling scared that they will get a severe punishment when they get home with you.

Teen dating should not be scary, neither for teens, nor parents. With a little care and understanding, you will see your teenage kid turning home happy after their first date.

As couples spend their wedded lives, one of both of them might ponder over this question at some point in time. Being wedded calls for a constant improvement that will always benefit both of you no matter how strong the relationship is. For marriage to be kept animated and active, both the partners should do their part in giving out the best efforts that they can for the relationship. Some easy things to consider that will help you and your spouse work through your issues are:

What Exactly Is The Trouble?

You and your spouse first and for most need to have a heart to heart and recognize what the problems are. This can tougher than you think, as this requires some amount of self-analysis. It is possible that we hate to see what we see, but if we can identify it, we can discuss candidly with our spouse, and that is the first step towards reconciling the issue.

Talk To Each Other

Almost any successful relationships take pride with an open and interactive communication. It is possible that we just do not find the time for it, with our time being fully booked by work commitments, kids or other family duties. It needs to become a daily habit of quality time and you need to make time for each other and communicate. One ingredient that also plays a major role here is being honest not just to yourself but more importantly to your partner. If we try to become better listener and supporter to our spouses, we could really gain a lot that could help better our relationships so it is really recommended to give an effort to work out your communications with your spouse. The only way to reach out and find this nook is when you interact with each other.

Do You Have A High Regard For One Another?

Respect is another fundamental factor to consider. Is fighting with each other already a part of your daily routine? Do you often swear, call each other names and point fingers at each other as if its just the most natural thing to do in your relationship? It is easy to get to that space at times when things are not going well. When you regard your partner in high esteem, you can actually bypass and amend several errors of the past. Was there any difference with your manner of treatment as well as the degree of your tenderness to each other from the first time that you met until these days? Can you think of the things that may have made the changes?

Think Of Friendship And Closeness

When matrimony going through a bad patch often results in loss of intimacy and friendship and that is a big loss. Find time to be affectionate with each other once more, and this can be really helpful. Restoration of physical intimacy is another way of breaking barriers created in the marriage. sexual intimacy might seem impossible at times like this, but with a bit of effort, if you can make it happen, things might start to look bright all over again. Making a marriage work and saving it from a disaster is indeed an uphill task, but it can have very positive outcome, if both the partners are willing to walk that extra mile to make it work.

The suggestions that follow may seem trivial but they they have the distinction of working almost every time they are tried. They address the central reason why some schools do much better than others even when all other factors are equal. It is all to easy when planning a new fundraiser to focus on the things that don’t matter. Here are five of the right things to you should focus on.

Below you will find four things that a school can do that will greatly affect how profitable their new fundraiser will be.

Step #1 - Profit Percentage Does Not Equal Profits.

A company offering 80% profit on it’s goods vs a company offering a 20% profit margin is not necessarily better for a school. One thing people often overlook is that banks do not accept deposits of percentage. Every bank I know of accepts only money. Profit percentage is the thing that many decision makers look at first when it comes time to pick what they are going to do for their new fundraiser. What I am saying here does not mean profit percentage is not important, but it should not be the school’s first and only priority when choosing their next new and unique fundraiser. It should be the school’s number one goal to raise the maximum profit possible with the least amount of hassles!

Step #2 - The Product You Sell Does Make a Difference, however, Not As Much As You Might Think! Picking the right product for your new fundraiser does make a difference, but, it does not have the importance that most think it does in having a successful fundraiser. You have probably seen this in your own town, how two schools decide to sell cookie dough and they both sell them at the same time and the same price. But the difference in their results were miles apart! Because of this, you could come to the conclusion that it is not the product which made the difference. So what is it that makes the biggest difference in fundraising results? Hint, see Step #4!

Step #3 - Time Your Fundraiser as Early In the School Year as Possible

When you start your fundraiser is a very important reason for it’s success. It is a fact that is indisputable, the first school to start it’s fundraiser wins. The first sales brochure that goes into the office or neighborhood has higher sales than the ones that come later. However, timing is not the #1 reason why schools have successful fundraisers. Hint, see the next step!

Step #4- How You Run The fundraiser is the Main Factor in it’s Success. (Called “Program Management”)

Program Management is the element that makes all the difference in having a successful fundraiser. You as a fundraising chairperson may know that “How” the school fundraiser is run is critical to it’s success, but the main problem is not many fundraising companies train the sponsors in how to run their sale the right way. On top of that, it is very simple to do.

Follow these key elements of Program Management to Maximize Your Sale.

A) Setting Goals for the School

B) A Memorable Kick Off

C) Maintaining Excitement for the Duration of the Sale

D) Find Helpful Volunteers

E) Motivating the Students/Sellers

F) Motivate the Teachers to Promote the Sale.

To get the best results on a new fundraiser the students/sellers must be properly motivated. You can provide motivation not only to the students but also to the teachers and the staff.

The main reason why one elementary will make $8,000 while another similar school will make $15,500, is the way they did their prizes/incentives for students and for their teachers!

We at AIM have a saying “Students could sell $5 bills for $10.00 and do real well if you motivate them good enough.” The most important part of your fundraiser will be to provide incentives that truly motivate your students and teachers to participate in your sale like they have never done before! A school that typically has a 25% participation rate will more than double with only a 15% increase in participation. Increasing participation by 15% is not a hard thing to do.

Do you ever wonder what you have done wrong when your child does something wrong? Well, this morning I couldn’t get my daughter motivated to get ready for school. She just stayed in her bedroom and pottered around and I was getting quite concerned about the time.

At 5 minutes before 8 o’clock I started to get firm with her and said “Beck, we are leaving for school in 20 minutes, whether you are ready or not. You need to get dressed, have breakfast and pack your bag”. Then I left her again.

She finally emerged right on 8.15am and started running around furiously as she hadn’t eaten breakfast and was hungry. I simply said to her, “what a shame you will have to miss out on breakfast this morning as we have to leave now”. I started to walk towards the car and poor Becky realized that mum meant business and she would be going hungry.

I drove Becky to school and she was pretty quiet in the car. Becky knew that she had done the wrong thing by trying to test the boundaries. And if she tries that again she will get the same result. I will not waver in my boundaries for her sake.

Sometimes kids will try to control adults by dawdling like this. We have no control over that. All we can control is our reaction to their actions. Becky knows now that there will be a sad consequence of no breakfast should she try to dawdle like that again. A valuable lesson for any child to learn.

I know it is sad to have to do that but if I keep on saving Becky she will never learn that the world requires people to be on time. I had to leave for work. I had to earn money to feed my children and pay the mortgage. And that’s the way life is. Becky had a responsibility to be at school on time.

Here’s the thing: as adults we need to resist the urge to keep on saving our children in every situation. Kids need to learn through their mistakes. If I had made Becky her breakfast she would learn dependence upon mum to rescue her. However I chose to help her learn a valuable lesson. As a parent I so wanted to help her out but knew that would not teach her anything.

The end result? It didn’t annoy me but inconvenienced her. She had to go hungry for most of the morning. I wouldn’t mind betting that she won’t do that again in a hurry. Why? Because she was allowed to suffer the consequences of her actions.

It was heart breaking to see a hungry child going to school. But I had no control over Beck’s actions. She made some bad choices today. But when we allow our kids to make mistakes and learn from them they will thank you later on in life. I guarantee it.

Today two of my children asked me for a go on the computer before school. I was surprised as they know our rule is “no computer before school”. Nevertheless there they were, asking me for a turn. They had first made sure that their rooms were tidy and they had packed their school bags. Everything had been done. Then came the begging…

“Mum, we would like a go on the computer. We have tidied our rooms, done our chores and we are ready for school. Please can we have a turn on the computer?” I replied, “If you can tell me how you will split your time so there will be no fighting I will consider your request”. The boys went away and thought for a minute then came back with their plan. Sam first, Kieren second.

What was I doing here? I was giving my kids a chance to show me that they could negotiate between themselves and come up with a solution. One hour - two kids. One computer. It might seem like an easy solution to us but kids need to learn the skills to negotiate and make decisions one with another. I was trying to teach them to be responsible.

The kids did come up with their own solution that Sam was to go first and Kieren was to go second. Admittedly there was a little heated discussion before they came to that arrangement, nevertheless they managed to figure it out without any intervention from me. And I actually think that if they were to come back with the same request another day I might even agree and grant them another “bending of the rules”. I might even decide to outlaw that rule in our house.

Parents, this is what you need to know here: your kids, no matter what their age, need to learn that the quality of their life will be in direct relation to the effort they put into it. If you work hard your boss might give you a raise. If you don’t work well he will give you the sack. That is the way the world operates. And when we teach our kids how the real world operates they will be well equipped to function in the world as adults. They will also thank you later on life.

Perhaps you are put off by the barrage of news and magazine articles about Going Green. After years and years of being told that our cleaning products needed a “New and Improved” ingredient to make our clothes whiter and glasses shinier, we are learning that these additives are harmful to the health of the people we love most. In the Green era, people are asking whether they can really trust the manufactures who misled them before.

Getting correct information is crucial. Naturally Green Clean is a new and well-written book that will teach anyone how to be a Green HomeMaker. Part of the trouble of Going Green is what to do after a homemaker dumped the products with multi-syllabic ingredients that were now know are pending health time bombs. There are hundreds oaf magazine and news articles about Going Green. The Internet is filled with idea, but what if these ideas could be reduced to twelve critical ingredients for any household cleaning issues?

Her book is called Naturally Green Clean, and it is both powerful and simple. It is a 90 page download that will become a mainstay for anyone who wants the straight-forward and serious answers to the cleaning issues of the home. This is about composting, more efficient light bulbs, or putting the correct amount of air in your tires. This book is specifically about the most effective ingredients available to create a healthy and Green home.

Naturally Green Clean is not just a book, but a training course. In fact, this learning experience is confirmed by a 25 question exam that is submitted to the Green Clean Institute to receive profession recognition as a Green HomeMaker. The best feature of all is the practice information that enables anyone to create their own cleaning products from natural ingredients.

There are other reasons to Go Green in your home. Natural cleaning products are generally less expensive and easy to make in your home. Most people do not realize how much they are spending on household cleaners, and you will discover that your money goes a lot farther when you need only a few simple ingredients to safely clean your home.

Take note also that there are far too many needless child poisonings in our homes, and they are often because we have these products within reach of young ones. Natural cleaning products do not have these hazards, and most can be literally consumed without harm. Bleach, for example, can cause lung problems, harm to eyes, and if mixed with ammonia will produce deadly fumes.

Instead of stumbling into Green, why not master the subject of Green Cleaning with natural ingredients? This study is written for the family homemaker that seriously wants to Go Green. The Green HomeMaker will provide a safer home, save money, and contribute to a healthier world with these great ideas. This is a book to get, read, and study. The winners are the people you care about most.

Power struggles are useless things and no-one wins at this game. It’s just not worth the bother. Teenagers are often good at this game, however younger children can also sometimes excel.

Recently I had a battle with 13 year old son. It was Friday and we had just arrived home from an evening out. Kieren’s friends wanted him to come outside and play in the dark in the park. it was 8.30pm when they called at our house. I just knew I was going to be in for a tough time. Kieren said to me,

“Mum, can I please go outside with my friends?” I said to him quite firmly, “no, not tonight”. Almost straight away Kieren came back at me with “oh mum, all my friends are going outside. I want to go”. Then he added, “you can’t stop me”. I thought for a minute, then I repeated my answer to him, “you are not going outside again tonight”. Then I walked away.

I heard Kieren becoming increasingly more annoyed and verbal in an attempt to get me to change my mind, or at least let me know his displeasure. I even heard him slam the bedroom door twice, something he had never done before. He was not happy.

Now here’s the thing, Kieren was angry and I didn’t try to make him agree or be happy with my decision. He seemed to need a bit of time to cool down. You cannot expect a teenager to always say sorry straight away. Kieren went off to bed in a huff but the next morning he came to me with an apology.

We must realize where these negative behaviors come from. Kids often try to exert power and control over someone else, especially parents. When these kinds of behaviors occur (for example eating slowly or dawdling) parents need to offer choices rather than giving direct demands. This is important. It will ease the pain of the conflict and probably prevent many a power struggle.

It is quite normal to test our authorities. Most of us will do it sometime in our lives. When our kids do it they want to know that we will be strong for them and not waver in our boundaries. When this happens our kids feel more secure.

I have come to realize that as a mother of teenagers it is not always your job to be liked. Often children will hate you for the boundaries you give them, in the short term. But the very next morning Kieren came back to me with an apology.

And, by the way, when Kieren woke up the next day his door was off the hinges. I didn’t need to growl at him for the door slam; I just took action to teach him that it was not an appropriate thing to do, thus avoiding another power struggle.

Sometimes I feel like I am the only one in the world with this problem. But I’m sure there are many others who experience the same thing as I do. Dynamics change between families and I guess having four kids makes it tough for me. But I would like to share some of my experiences with other parents in the hope that I might help a few.

I have great difficulty with my 10 year old daughter each morning. No matter what time I wake her up she seems to dawdle and end up rushing to get out the door at the very last minute. Often she is late for school because she cuts it too fine.

When dealing with a child who is reluctant to go to school, the first thing you must do is ask them if they are being bullied at school by another child. Often this will be the answer. But if not, at least you know that you will need to come up with a plan to deal with this problem.

Always try something positive to start off with. An example of this might be a sticker chart and at the end of the week a trip to buy ice cream if they have stickers for every day. Make the reward immediate and something that the child likes in order to motivate them. And as your child gets better you can then start to make the rewards a bit further apart.

Always exhaust all possibilties before turning to look at the negative. Positive reinforcement always works much better if you can manage it. Well it would be nice if I could practice what I preach but alas, this morning I had to go for a negative consequence. On account of Becky throwing a tantrum this morning I felt that I had to act to help her change her behavior.

Becky has left for school now, about ten minutes late, and I am left to decide what consequence will help her to learn a lesson. Remember that a consequence should be given in order to help a child learn that it is simply not worth it. I am thinking of removing a few things from her room to go up into my top cupboard: some rather grown up earrings that Beck should not be wearing if she is still throwing tantrums plus a few grown up items of clothing more suitable for an older, more mature child.

Always try to match the crime to the punishment. In my case I am letting Becky know that because she threw a tantrum she should not be wearing grown up clothes. Make sure that you talk through it with the child so they understand why you are doing what you do.

In all of this I will give her a chance to lessen the consequence through improved behavior over the next couple of days. If she shows me that she can indeed get ready for school quickly without fussing or throwing a tantrum she will get something special that belongs to her back quite quickly. The end result is that Becky learns that she can control the quality of her life by her actions or inactions. And that is what we want our kids to learn.

One of the most important things in our family is our value system. As a family we often talk about what is important to us and why. One of these values is that I promote honesty above all else and the consequences are never as severe for children who own up to something.

Yesterday one of my sons decided to test me out on this. He told me that he had missed the bus to a sports event because of his teacher keeping him in at lunch break, but it didn’t sound right to me so I thought I would inquire a bit further.

On phoning his teacher I found out the whole story. Yes, he was kept in at lunch time for a few minutes but he still had time to catch the bus to sports. He had walked up to the bus with a mate and then decided that he would rather go to basketball instead of soccer. So he had taken off without even telling a teacher where he was going.

I couldn’t understand why Sam had pointed the finger at his school teacher when it wasn’t her fault at all. He missed the bus because he had been making poor choices. But why had he tried to blame a teacher? I was puzzled as to why he hadn’t taken responsibility for his actions.

As parents there is something important we must remember: we cannot control our kids. The only thing we can control is our reaction to what they do.

Anyhow, we will talk this afternoon. My objective is to help Sam realize that he must take responsibility for his own actions without trying to blame anyone else for his poor choices. If I can get him to see that, then I have done my job in this matter.

The end result is that Sam will be getting a consequence. I want to show him that he made the wrong choice. I might ban him from the computer for a day or two, just long enough for him to be annoyed and perhaps think about why he was banned. I want him to feel motivated to change his actions the next time and learn from this incident.

Parents, you have a chance to choose what your family’s core values will be. You should talk to your kids about them, encourage them and uphold them at all times. Your kids will thank you later on in life, you can be sure of that. So think about your core family values today.